Eichaed d



(No Model.)

R. D. THAGKSTON.

SELF CLOSING HATGHWAY.

No; 341,073. Paten te d May 4-, 1886.v

NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. TI-IACKSTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO HENRY I. ODE, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-CLOSING HATCHWAY.

fiPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,073, dated May 1, 1886.

Application filed December 6, 1884. Serial No. 149,646. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. THAOKSTON, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a. certain new and useful Improvement in Self-Closing Hatchways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which-- Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections showing the cage in elevation and in different positions. In Fig. 1 it is shown as it has just reached the door-lifting device, and in Fig. 2 the door is partly raised or opened. Fig. Sis

1 a transverse section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. looking down. Fig. 4: is a similar view taken on line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5 5, Fig. 2. Fig. (5 .is a vertical section taken on line (5 6, Fig. 5. Fig.

7 is an edge view of one of the cam-brackets secured to the bottom of the cage. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view illustrating the manner of securing the cam to the bottom of the cage, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged view illustrating the 2 man ner ol'securing the lifting-chain to the door.

My present invention relates to certain im provemenls in selfelosing hatchways; and it consisls in leatures'o'f novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

0 Referring to the drawings, A represents the cage; 13, the doors; 0, the uprights; D, a cam on lopof the cage for opening the doors on the ascent of the cage, and I a cam ml the bottom of the cage for opening the doors on 5 the descent of the cage by coming against levers J, one for each door, to which it is .connected by a rod, L, and a flat chain, M, the latter being made fast to the door by a plate, N, (see Figs. 2 and 9,) and passing under a 40 wheel or pulley, 0, against which it is held by a roller, 1 supported by a bracket, P, the pulley and roller being secured to the same upright C as the levers J'. (Sec Figs. 2 and 5.) The rod and chain are connected by 5 a turn buckle, Q, adjustable on the screw threaded end of the rod, and the screw-threaded end of a rod, 17, secured to the chain.

A chain alone for connecting the door to the lever is shown and described in my appli- 53 cation No. 133,309, filed May 31, 1884.; but I find the use of the rod for the upper part of the connection to be cheaper and better in other ways than the chain for this part of the connection.

Each lever J is secured or hinged to the 55 upright by means of a shaft, T, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) around which is coiled a spring, U, one end of which is made fast to the lever by a pin, J, or otherwise, and the other end is made fast to the shaft by an arm, J having a slot, J to receive the end of the spring; or

the spring may be secured to the shaftby other suitable means. It will be understood that as the door closes after the cage has passed, this spring acts to check it, so that it will close gently, and just as the door is closed the lever comes against a stop, V, secured to the upright by a bolt, V, fitting in a slot,V but this stop is not absolutely necessary and may be dispensed with.

A spring check or cushion for a hatchwaydoor is shown and described, but not broadly claimed, in my application above mentioned, and also in my application No. 133,311, filed May 31, 188-1.

The cam I is hinged to the bottom of the cage and operates in the same manner as in my Patent No. 302,172, dated July 15, 1884,; but it is guided and held in place differentlyi. 6., by means of curved rods 1, (around one of which is a spring, 1 that pass through brackets I secured to the bottom of the cage. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 7.)

The cam I) on top of the cage is thesame as that shown, described, and claimed in my application No. 134,063, filed June 6, 1881, and also shown and described in Patent No. 307,688 issued to myself and assignee, Henry I. Ooe, November 4-, 1881.

I reserve the right to claim the form of 0 spring check or stop, and a stop for limiting the movement of the lever in another application, No. 171,079, filed July 9, 1885.

I claim as my invention In a self-closing hat-chway, the combination 5 of the door, cage, cams on the cage, lever pivoted or hinged to a support, rod and chain connecting the lever to the door, pulley or wheel under which the chain passes, and roller for keeping the chain in engagement with the pulley or wheel, all arranged and op erating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD D. THAG KSTON. In presence of- GEo. H. KNIGHT, SAML. KNIGHT. 

